The city of Ardabil, as the capital of the province, is located at a distance of 639 kilometers from Tehran, west to the volcanic mountain of Sabalan. The weather of the province varies between extreme cold on the mountainous areas, to moderate on the plains. The name of Ardabil came from a Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" (mentioned in Avesta) which means a holy place. Some historians attribute the foundation of Ardabil to "Bazan Firuz".